A Spring Break to Remember...

I want to make sure and remember this spring break for sure. First of all it was the first visitor that I have had while living overseas..so that in itself is exciting. It also though was a week of adventure, rest, sunburns and a cold. I mean how can life get more exciting than that? Regardless I want to write down this fun-filled adventure as I don't want to forget those little details that make a vacation, so fun to remember.

P arrived on a Thursday evening....we had our dinner at Yellow, Yellow...the best little Thai street restaurant this side of the Makong! OKay...so I don't really know what I should say this side of...because Mississippi just doesn't sound right.

Friday was Songkran day at my school...everyone dressed in Traditional Thai clothes. It was great, we didn't have Thai day last year, so this year it was interesting to see the different traditions. The idea is the elders are shown respect to by pouring water on their hands. I need to look up more for the background information, but I do think that the respect that is shown to people that are older than you is to be greatly admired in this country. Too many times as an American I tend to think that I am the smartest and wisest and don't like to listen to those with more years simply because I have a higher education. When the truth is that I should be more willing to listen to those around me especially those that have lived more of life and that the Lord has granted with greater wisdom and knowledge.

Saturday was the beginning of the big adventure day. We got up early to go to Chatachuk Market also known as JJ Market. A huge open air market in Thailand. After shopping around a bit we decided to head to one of the big malls around here to catch a movie. So....we enter the movie theater a few minutes before the movie should start and then all of a sudden this guy comes in speaking Thai and says a long bit of information. All the Thai people get up and leave, leaving the rest of us, who obviously have no idea what he said...(yes I may have lived here f

or almost 2 years, but my Thai is not so great!) Anyways...I turned around and the 20 of us still left in the theater decided to get up...turns out the mall was closing due to the protestors....so what can we do? We go outside and begin to take the BTS (skytrain back to my part of the city) guess what? That is closed, they are only letting a certain number of passengers on and we don't make the cut. So...we go exploring...

And we landed right in the middle of the red shirts...I called a friend to find out how to get home. Except instead of going that direction we walked right down the middle of the protest...this was totally by accident and there were a couple of times when I was a little freaked out, but if I have learned anything in the past 2 years it is that Thai people are kind to foreigners. So at one point this lady grabs my shirt and says, "Please you must go away, please leave, the army is coming." I thought she was kidding but as it turns out probably later on that evening was when everything got worse. I must say that I am so thankful I know Jesus, because even when I do not know it, He is protecting me. I had no idea that 21 people would die and that tensions were rising. It was a sight to behold though that is for sure.

Well after walking around to the Baiyoke where you can see from the 83rd floor all over BKK, we finally got a taxi home. The BTS didn't open so it really was our only option. Never thought I would be so happy to be back at my apartment...but this time for real I was excited.

The next day we are off to Chiang Mai....little did I know that this would be a crazy experience also. So....get to the airport and after my backpack which I was carrying on when through security once, they asked me if they could check it, sure I said. So they checked it then he asked if they could scan it again, also asking me if I had a toy gun in my backpack. To which I replied, "no not that I know of." Yeah so they scanned it and then guess what he takes it back to the table and pulls out a pellet gun from the hidden pocket. Oh, I said that is my student's I had to take it away from him, you can throw it away." Sometimes I am really glad that I live in Thailand and not another country. Yeah...so thanks to that student who had to get that confiscated on the retreat....oh middle schoolers...how I love you!

Make it to Chiang Mai..did I mention that Songkran is the Water Festival, basically a huge water throwing party. You can't go anywhere in Chiang Mai without getting wet. So we went shopping our first night at Walking Street in Chiang Mai. Good thing because otherwise we would have been soaked.

One of my friends had heard of this great Elephant Farm the only Elephant Farm actually the rest are called camps...so off we went for a fun-filled day with the Elephants. It was amazing. We got to check their health, which means making sure that they slept the night before on the ground, seeing if they are sweating, checking their poo and also before you even begin making sure that your elephant wants you to come near her. We got to experience bathing the elephants and riding them through really deep ravines. You can't imagine how amazing it is to sit on top of an elephant and ride it through these ravines. Seriouly can't even begin to describe how amazing our creator is! Just simply in awe of how He has worked elephants to this depth.

I loved being up close and personal with the Elephants...totally amazing.

The next day we got started with Songkran 101....thanks S for making me do it. Totally fun for a day, although the water we dumped on people was from the river...in the middle of town, not totally for sure what that entails!

So....headed back to BKK for the night and then onto Southern Thailand where we experienced Tropical Paradise, although it was a little more expensive than I thought, but well worth it! I managed to get a sunburn and a cold all in one day...

Anyways....pics to come soon, I want to use the ones on my camera...but it was great times!